Willing to Stand

No Reserves, No Retreats and No Regrets.Three short statements written in the back of a Bible belonging to someone who surrendered everything to follow Jesus Christ.

William Borden, a millionaire, a graduate of Yale & Princeton who surrendered everything to follow Jesus Christ. While on his way to China he contracted spinal meningitis and died at the age of 25 and never arrived to the the mission field he hoped to serve in. Was it a wasted life? No, God does not waste His servants and they do not die in vain.

My brother in Christ JosIMG_0249wse Maria Sanchez Mejia did not die this afternoon in vain nor did Elias, a Christian brother who worked in the ministry with Jose. At 8:40pm I received the news that Jose and Elias were returning from Morales and heading home to Riachuelo when they were both gunned down near the intersection of the road leading to the ministry site of Bonanza, one of the churches where Jose served as pastor. I cannot begin to describe the shock and disbelief I as well as others are feeling right now. Jose, a committed husband, a father, a pastor, a friend and a servant of Jesus Christ is no longer with us but has moved on to be with our Lord. I do not know what emotion to feel right now anger, disbelief, sadness, happiness maybe all of the above. I am confident of this truth, Jose & Elias gave all they possibly could and no one and nothing can separate them from the love of God. His word tell us…

Who will separate us from the love of Christ ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written,

FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED
.”
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39

When I remember Jose I will do so with a recollection of how he discipled the young people of his church, his loSNV31740wsve for God’s Word, his conviction to preach truth. I will remember the day as I stood by and watched Jose baptize Elias in the river right after he accepted Christ. My favorite memory of Jose was the day he took me to a home to give out medication. The gentleman who lived there was dying slowly with HIV, he was lost and in need of the Savior. We gave him the medication and prayed for his salvation. Two days later an emotional Jose called to tell me the man accepted Christ as his Savior.

Did they die in vain? Was God surprised when the lives of Jose & Elias came to an end? No, not at all. They lived for Christ and died for Christ. Because of their faithfulness to follow Christ in life and death I am even more so compelled to surrender my life to God daily and pursue Him with a passion.

Jose, Elias I look forward to seeing you in heaven my brothers.

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One response to “Willing to Stand”

  1. Daniel Perez says:

    Amen bro, that is so true. May God bless their family!